Various outer garments exist which can be folded into a pouch located on the garment itself. These garments appeal mainly to hikers, campers, and other sportsmen who appreciate the convenience of a jacket or other outer garment which can be folded into a compact package and placed into a backpack, clipped to a belt, or carried easily by hand.
It has previously been recognized that it is desirable to have a garment which can be folded and then carried on one's back. The garment may become an extra bag to carry other items and is easier to carry because it hangs on one's back. Such a garment will not take up extra space, as do those garments which must be carried in another backpack or bag, and will not be as cumbersome as those which are held in the hand or clipped on a belt. However, the garments previously designed have been quite complicated and are not readily usable by children.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,470 shows two separate articles of clothing formed from one which cannot be used as both at the same time. When in a jacket wearing mode, the garment has useless straps on the outside back, but no backpack. A pair of zippers are opened on the jacket back so that the jacket may be folded inside. The straps are then used so that the pack can be worn on the back.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,735 there is shown a combined jacket and backpack. The backpack has multiple compartments. When one compartment is opened by a zipper, the jacket may be folded inside. A similar structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,777. It is difficult to convert these combination structures from one mode to another.